WWII Batle of Kursk - German Footage 1943 - Bf110 Panzer Tiger MG34 Nebelwerfer etc. Watch in HD - YouTube WWII Batle of Kursk - German Footage 1943 - Bf110 Panzer Tiger MG34 Nebelwerfer etc. Watch in HD Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Aug 3, 2011 just few scenes.STRICTLY APOLITICAL VIDEO. NO POLITICAL,RELIGIOUS,SILLY,INSULTING COMMENTS PLEASE,MANY THANKS FOR THAT. The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, (450 kilometres / 280 miles south of Moscow) in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943.

It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka, and the costliest single day of aerial warfare in history. It was the final strategic offensive the Germans were able to mount in the east. The resulting decisive Soviet victory gave the Red Army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war. The Germans hoped to shorten their lines by eliminating the Kursk salient (also known as the Kursk bulge), created in the aftermath of their defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad. They envisioned pincers breaking through its northern and southern flanks to achieve a great encirclement of Red Army forces. The Soviets, however, had intelligence of Adolf Hitler's intentions.

This and German delays to wait for new weapons, mainly Tiger and Panther tanks,[20][21] gave the Red Army time to construct a series of defense lines and gather large reserve forces for a strategic counterattack.[22] Kursk as a whole demonstrated the failure of Blitzkrieg against a prepared, flexible, and multiply-redundant strategy of defense in depth.[citation needed] Well-advised months in advance that the attack would fall on the neck of the Kursk salient, the Soviets designed a system to slow, redirect, exhaust, and progressively attrit the powerful German panzer spearheads by forcing them to attack through a vast interconnected web of minefields, pre-sighted artillery fire zones, and concealed anti-tank strongpoints comprising eight progressively spaced defense lines 250 km deep — more than 10 times as deep as the vaunted Maginot Line — and featuring a greater than 1:1 ratio of anti-tank guns to attacking vehicles, it was by far the most statistically formidable[peacock term] defensive works ever constructed.

It eventually proved to be more than three times the depth necessary to contain the furthest extent of the German attack.[23][page needed] When the German forces had exhausted themselves against the defences, the Soviets responded with their own counter-offensives, which allowed the Red Army to retake Orel and Belgorod on 5 August and Kharkov on 23 August, and push the Germans back across a broad front. Although the Red Army had had success in winter, this was the first successful strategic Soviet summer offensive of the war. The model strategic operation earned a place in war college curricula.[nb 8][24][page needed] The Battle of Kursk was the first battle in which a Blitzkrieg offensive had been defeated before it could break through enemy defences and into its strategic depths.[ Category 1000+ images about WW2 Battle of Kursk on Pinterest | The battle, Tanks and Tigers Forward Battle of Kursk, Operation "Citadel" it. Unternehmen Zitadelle) is one of the key battles of the Great Patriotic War.

It lasted from July 5 to August 23, 1943, and ending it marked the upturn in the war: German troops permanently lost the strategic initiative See More The battle and The o'jays on Pinterest Forward A Russian T-34 tank rolls through a burning village during the Battle of Kursk, July 1943. The battle took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes and the costliest single day of aerial warfare in history. It was the final strategic offensive the Germans were able to mount in the east. The resulting decisive Soviet victory gave the Red Army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war. See more 1000+ images about WWII: Battle of Kursk on Pinterest | Panthers, Vehicles and Soviet union Forward A Russian T-34 tank rolls through a burning village during the Battle of Kursk, July 1943. The battle took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes and the costliest single day of aerial warfare in history.

It was the final strategic offensive the Germans were able to mount in the east. The resulting decisive Soviet victory gave the Red Army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war. See More World War II | Battlefield Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Total dead: Over 12,000,000 World War II (often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, also known as the Second World War or, on the Eastern Front, the Great Patriotic War) was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations including all of the great powers, eventually forming two opposing military alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million military personnel mobilized. In a state of "total war," the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by significant events involving the mass death of civilians, including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it was the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in 50 million to over 70 million fatalities.

Contents Edit After World War I and the failure of the Weimar Republic, Germany was left in ruins. Within the early 1930s, Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor (later Führer) of the central European country. For Italy in the 1920s, Benito Mussolini rose to power. In 1931, Japan used its army to invade northern China and by 1937, the whole of the eastern Asian mainland. By 1938, the Germans invaded half of the Czech Republic and Austria after Italian forces took Ethiopia in 1935. Ignoring a peace-time conference in Munich, Hitler gradually took all of the Czech Republic a year after. With new weapons tested in the Spanish Civil War in 1936-1939, Hitler's next target was Poland. In order to take half of the country, he persuaded Joseph Stalin, the Premier of the Soviet Union, to secure a treaty under which the Red Army would take the other half of Poland. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland with a tactic that became known as the Blitzkrieg.

Two days later, the British and French governments declared war on the Germans which caused a retreat from France a year later by the British when they were overrun. European Theater Edit July 9, 1943 - May 5, 1945 The Italian Campaign appears in Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome . Northern Italy was a battleground in World War I, but by the Second World War, Italy had to defend its homeland after Hitler's Afrika Korps were destroyed in Tunisia on May 13, 1943. On July 9, Operation Husky commenced in which the Allies took on the Royal Italian Army for a month and thirty-nine days. Edit July 9 – August 17, 1943 Operation Husky was a major conflict in the Italian campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis Powers. It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation. followed by six weeks of land combat. During the first hours of the operation, the British Army launched their airborne forces near the coastal town of Syracuse to seize landing zones from the Royal Italian Army. Hours later, the infantry came ashore in landing craft to assist the paratroopers.

Edit September 3 - 9, 1943 Operation Baytown was the amphibious assault across the Messina strait, between Sicily and Calabria. The British Army was tasked to seize bridges across the strait and push into Italy; however, the Royal Italian Army , on the brink of surrender, had one final objective - to destroy the bridges. Following the defeat, Italy surrendered and the Allies launched Operation Avalanche . Edit September 9 - 15, 1943 The Battle for Salerno was part of Operation Avalanche . The Invasion of Italy, the battle was a cooperative attack from both Allied forces; the British Army would seize the port of Salerno itself, while the United States Army secured the mountains of Paestum. Victory assured the Allied forces of a secured western flank in the offensive in South Italy. Edit January 17 – May 18, 1944 The Battle for Monte Cassino was a series of bloody battles carried out by the United States Army, British Army, and the Free French Forces, the US and British forces were pushed off the hill previously and the Free French Forces secured the hill after four consecutive battles on Monte Cassino.

Edit January 22 – June 5, 1944 The Battle for Anzio was part of Operation Shingle, the United States Army tasked of bypassing the Gustav Line in hopes of outflanking the Wehrmacht forces from the rear, Anzio was the landing section where the US would land. As the assault began, Italian troops, now formed as the Italian Social Republic, began engaging American forces. Edit August 25 - December 17, 1944 The Battle for Monte Santa Croce was part of Operation Olive. With the Allied forces having starting a second front in Northern France, the Italian Campaign has now turned into a sluggish drive to the Alps, Free French Forces attempt to secure the High Mountains of Monte Santa Croce. Despite heavy losses both sides abandoned the mountains and fought for them another day. Operation Olive ended after the capture of Bologna in December 1944. By this time, Allied forces in France were securing their way into Germany to end the war. Western Front Edit The Western Front of World War II was generally restricted to the same geographic regions as during World War I.

During the war, the front moved much further, as far west as the English Channel and deep in to the Soviet Union to the east. Although fighting took place in Norway and Italy, these are not usually included as part of the Western Front but as separate campaigns. Edit July 10 – October 31, 1940 The Battle of Britain was an air campaign waged by the Luftwaffe against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force , especially Fighter Command. The name derives from a famous speech delivered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the House of Commons: "...the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin." The Invasion of Normandy Edit June 6, 1944 Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings.

The beach is located on the coast of Normandy, France, facing the English Channel, and is 5 miles (8 km) long, from east of Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to west of Vierville-sur-Mer on the right bank of the Douve River estuary. Landings here were necessary in order to link up the British landings to the east at Gold Beach with the American landing to the west at Utah Beach, thus providing a continuous lodgement on the Normandy coast of the Bay of the Seine. Taking Omaha was to be the responsibility of United States Army troops, with sea transport provided by the United States Navy and elements of the Royal Navy. Edit June 10 - 13, 1944 The Battle for Carentan was a joint airborne and land battle, airborne forces were dropped behind enemy lines and were tasked of taking the crossroad town of Carentan, the United States Army coming from Omaha Beach were tasked of linking up with them to secure the town. To reach the town, US forces had to fight through the Bocage, an interlinked network of hedgerows, which were ideal defending locations for German forces.

Edit Before 1917, a city in Europe's eastern direction was part of heavy Soviet forces fighting the Germans. 24 years later, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union . On the first day of October, Germany forces were encountered by the Soviets at Kharkov trying to get hold of three major outposts in the ruined city. As the battle continued, Stalingrad and Kursk became heavily bombarded by German artillery. On August 23, 1943, the Soviets had won the two battles against the Germans. Edit October 20 - 24, 1941 The First Battle of Kharkov only lasted four days, as it was a great surprise to the Red Army and their unprepared defenses. German tanks rolled over the defenses and battled in close quarters fighting on the western edge of the city. By the fourth day, the Soviets were overwhelmed and evacuated the city. May 12 - 28, 1942 The Second Battle of Kharkov lasted 16 days as an attempt to ambush the Germans on their way to Rostov-on-Don. Soviet losses were high, but Kharkov was nearly captured.

In the final days of the offensive the Luftwaffe arrived and halted the Soviets' progress. Soon afterwards, German armor rolled back into the city and beat back the Soviets. February 19 - March 15, 1943 The Third Battle of Kharkov was a German counter-offensive to restore order in the Stalingrad area. In early February, Soviet troops stormed Kharkov only to realize the city was undefended. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Soviet troops barricaded Kharkov in hopes of stopping the German troops for a third time. However, their efforts proved unsuccessful and heavy German armor and Waffen SS troops stormed the city walls once again and beat back the Soviet defenders. August 12 - 23, 1943 The Fourth Battle of Kharkov was a part of Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev, the Soviet counter-offensive in the Kursk region. With Germany's offensive power crippled in Russia, the Soviets were successfully able to storm Kharkov without concern of another German counter-offensive. After the capture of the Dzerzhinksy Square in the center of Kharkov, German troops surrendered and Kharkov was finally liberated.

Edit August 23, 1942 - February 2, 1943 The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle in the war in which Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now renamed Volgograd) in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between August 23, 1942 and February 2, 1943. It was among the largest battle on the Eastern Front and was marked by its brutality and disregard for military and civilian casualties. It was amongst the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, with the higher estimates of combined casualties amounting to nearly two million. In its defeat, the crippling losses suffered by Germany's military proved to be insurmountable for the war. The battle was a turning point in the war, after which German forces attained no further strategic victories in the East. Edit July 5 - August 23, 1943 The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943.

It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka, and the costliest single day of aerial warfare in history. It was the final strategic offensive the Germans were able to mount in the east. The resulting decisive Soviet victory gave the Red Army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war. Edit June 11, 1940 - February 4, 1943 When Italy declared war on Britain and France in June 1940, Italy began its drive towards Cairo and resume its control over the Mediterranean. However, the Royal Italian Army was untrained and lacked the necessary resources to fight the British Army. On December 9, 1940, the British launched Operation Compass and drove the Italians back into Libya. Italy asked Germany for assistance in their campaign and the Afrika Korps arrived in March 1941 under the command of Erwin Rommel. From then on, Britain was pushed back to Egypt. Edit April 10 - November 27, 1941 After the arrival of the Afrika Korps in El Agheila, the British Army was back on the retreat towards Egypt.

Along the way, they barricaded themselves inside the fortress town of Tobruk. This is when the Siege of Tobruk began. The siege finally ended in November 1941 in British surrender. Edit June 15 - 17, 1941 In a desperate attempt to break the Siege of Tobruk , the British Army launched Operation Battleaxe: a long drive along the coastal road from Sidi Barrani and clearing German positions on the Libyan/Egyptian border in areas such as Fort Capuzzo, Musaid, and the Halfaya Pass. British forces would then push through the gap into Tobruk. Unknown to the British Army, the Afrika Korps had sent an armored spearhead to ignore the fort of Tobruk and push onward to Cairo. The British met the Germans head on in an armored clash near the Libyan/Egyptian border. Due to an overwhelming number of resources, tanks, and infantry, the British were forced to retreat, leaving Tobruk in Axis hands. Edit May 26 - June 21, 1942 After launching Operation Crusader in November 1941, the Afrika Korps was pushed back to El Agheila and needed more resources sent from Germany.

As a result, the Afrika Korps recieved new tanks and more equipment including dummy tanks assembled from wool and cloth. Erwin Rommel used these dummy tanks to lure the British Army out into the open, where they would then be engaged by the actual German tanks, thus destroying the British troops. Subsequently, the British were once again pushed back to Egypt. British Intelligence confirmed that due to fast retreat, Germany's supply lines were stretched too far, forcing them to halt the advance. Using this window of opportunity, they prepared defenses along the Gazala Line, and thus the Battle of Gazala ensued. After the Afrika Korps flanked the Gazala Line, the British were forced to retreat back to El Alamein. Edit May 29 - June 11, 1942 Operation Aberdeen was the British attempt to stop the Afrika Korps in the open plains near Bir El Harmat, after the initial flank near Bir Hakeim the British Army needed to stop the German drive to Tobruk. Afterwards the British could not take on the sheer number of German tanks and was forced to fallback to defend Sidi Muftah. In the end, Tobruk was captured again in June 1942.

Edit October 23 - November 4, 1942 After the first battle of El Alamein, the battle ended in a stalemate. It did, however, halt the Afrika Korps advance to Cairo, but upon received further supplies, Rommel continued the assault. This was the Second Battle of El Alamein. Rommel struck further into the El Alamein line and taking Kidney Ridge. By this time, a new British commander stepped into play, Bernard Montgomery. Taking command of the British Army in El Alamein, he coordinated defenses and counter-attacked at the right moment, catching the Afrika Korps off guard. From this point on, the Afrika Korps were on the retreat, Rommel having exhausted his supplies and falling back to El Agheila. In December 1942, El Agheila was captured by the British and the Axis forces were forced to retreat into Tunisia. After Operation Torch, the United States Army joined the fight against the Afrika Korps, nearly losing their foothold at the Battle for Kasserine Pass. However, they struck back and assisted in driving the Afrika Korps out of Africa.

The Germans surrendered in May 1943 and Africa was securely in Allied hands. Allied Operations in Europe and North Africa Edit With Japan having entered the war in late 1940, their goal was to dominate the Pacific Ocean, which garnered the attention of US and Australian forces. Before beginning their expansion into the South Pacific Sea, they coordinated a series of simultaneous attacks on US-held island territories, such as Guam, Wake Island , and the Philippines . It was crucial to the Japanese that the islands were secured by rendering the United States Navy useless. On December 7, 1941, the US naval base of Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii was bombarded by aerial and naval strikes by the Imperial Japanese Navy . The following day, December 8, the United States of America declared war on Japan, prompting the Japanese to seize the American home islands as planned. Edit December 8 - 23, 1941 After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Navy proceeded to invade the US territory of Wake Island. The island possessed an airfield, which would be vital for the Japanese campaign for Pacific dominance. The invasion lasted for 20 days and Wake Island was eventually captured.

It would be another three years before the US would return to recapture the island. Edit December 8, 1941 - May 8, 1942 Several hours after the invasion of Wake Island, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Luzon, commencing the Invasion of the Philippines. Using PT Boats to defend the islands from US destroyers and landing craft, the Japanese broke through American defenses and moved inland. By May 1942, General Douglas MacArthur made a bold promise to return to the island. October 20, 1944 - September 2, 1945 Two years later, General MacArthur fulfilled his promise with the American assault of the Philippines, expelling the Japanese invaders and securing the islands in its island hopping campaign. Edit May 4 - 8, 1942 On May 3, 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy captured the island of Tulagi, surprising the USS Yorktown and USS Lexington in the Coral Sea, which were assault by Imperial Japanese aircraft.

The next day, American fighters and bombers took off from the Lexington and Yorktown to hunt down the Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, starting the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Shokaku and Zuikaku were heavily damaged, as was the USS Yorktown was critically damaged, although the Lexington would be lost. Tulagi remained firmly in Japanese hands. US and Japanese aircraft carriers would continue the battle at Midway Island. Edit June 4 - 7, 1942 After the Battle of the Coral Sea , Japanese officers saw the small island of Midway, a tiny island with an airfield, which posed a significant threat to the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Japanese brought overwhelming numbers to deal with the small American armed forces stationed on the island, but just as the attack was underway, Japanese scout planes spotted two US aircraft carriers a few miles from Midway, the USS Enterprise and the USS Hornet, along with several destroyers and cruisers. Japanese aircraft carriers launched their bombers and sunk the Hornet and damaged the Enterprise; hours later, the Enterprise launched their own wave of bombers and sunk four Japanese cruisers and aircraft carriers: The Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Soryu.

Later, the USS Yorktown was reunited with the Enterprise, despite being repaired in battle. Both US carriers attacked the Japanese one last time and wiped out any remaining enemy forces. Edit August 7, 1942 - February 9, 1943 After Midway, the United States Navy headed south to Australia to prevent a possible Japanese invasion of Australia. The Solomon Islands were a blockade standing between Australia and the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Japanese needed to take the Solomon Islands to prevent island bombardment on the Japanese landing craft. One island stood in the way of this - Guadalcanal. The IJN and USMC fought over Guadalcanal for six months over key strategic positions like Henderson Airfield, Bloody Ridge, and the Lunga River. Eventually, Japanese forces withdrew from Guadalcanal. Edit October 6, 1944 Operation Aurora was a top secret operation conducted by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps. The operation's purpose was to seek and gather intelligence on any potential Japanese secret weaponry. Two squads of US Marines were sent in to infiltrate an unknown Japanese home island, although Able squad was immediately spotted and killed.

After moving inland, the remaining squad met up with a Japanese defector , who warned them of a high-tech scalar weapon known by the Japanese as "The Black Weapon." Upon retrieving the intel and the defector, the Marines pushed toward a Japanese subpen in order to escape the island. Just as the squad prepared to leave via a captured submarine, the Japanese fired the weapon, which created a massive tidal wave, drowning the Marines and the defector. Edit February 19 - March 26, 1945 The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the last and bloodiest battle in the Pacific War. The Marines landed on the beach under intense fire and suffered heavy losses. After hours of intense fire from the Japanese-controlled high ground, the Marines managed to move off the beach and secure the airfield on the island. Hours later, they set out to capture Mount Suribachi. After small skirmishes on the northern section of the island past the airfield, the island was eventually secured by US forces.

LiveLeak.com - WW2 Batle of Kursk - German Footage 1943 - Messerschmitt Bf110 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger MG34 Nebelwerfer etc. Browse Channels WW2 Batle of Kursk - German Footage 1943 - Messerschmitt Bf110 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger MG34 Nebelwerfer etc. The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, (450 kilometres / 280 miles south of Moscow) in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka, and the costliest single day of aerial warfare in history. It was the final strategic offensive the Germans were able to mount in the east. The resulting decisive Soviet victory gave the Red Army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war.

The Germans hoped to shorten their lines by eliminating the Kursk salient (also known as the Kursk bulge), created in the aftermath of their defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad. They 10 Bloodiest Battles of World War II 10 Bloodiest Battles of World War II December 1, 2011 By Will ( Image Source ) From 1939 to 1945, the largest conflict the world has ever known raged on relentlessly. Beginning in Europe, before taking in Asia, Africa, America and the Pacific, World War Two saw over 60 million deaths and countless lives blighted. Bloodshed had never been seen on such a scale before. Even World War I — whose fatalities numbered 35 million — did not witness the same level of sheer destruction, meted out on all sides, throughout the early 1940s. What follows are the bloodiest battles of World War Two — a startling reminder, if one were needed, that war can indeed be hell. 10.

Battle of Monte Cassino, 17 January–18 May 1944: 185,000 casualties ( Image Source ) Waged between the Allies and the joint German and Italian troops in the early part of 1944, the Battle of Monte Cassino was one of the hardest fought battles of the Second World War. The main objective for the Allied forces fighting their way up from Southern Italy was to break through the Germans’ Gustav Line — a series of military fortifications running across Italy — and gain control of Rome. Named after the 1,400-year-old monastery of Monte Cassino that stood at the center of the German defensive line (and which was controversially destroyed by American bombers during the battle), the fighting was made up of four smaller battles that took place in January, February, March and May, respectively. The eventual capture of Rome came at a high price, with at least 125,000 casualties on all sides — and as many as 185,000 by some estimates. 9.

Battle of the Bulge, 16 December 1944–25 January 1945: 186,369 casualties ( Image Source ) The Battle of the Bulge — so-called by the British because of the “bulge” in the map where the German forces broke the Allied line — was the last major German offensive on the Western Front of World War II. Also known as the Ardennes Offensive — named after the densely forested area of Belgium, France and Luxembourg — the aim of the operation was to split the Allied troops in two, capture Antwerp in the process, then destroy the remaining Allied forces. Fortunately for the Allies, the battle did not go to plan for the Germans. Despite catching an overconfident and unsuspecting Allied force unawares, superior numbers, timely reinforcements and improving weather conditions (which allowed the Allied air forces to take to the skies) sealed the Germans’ fate. With around 840,000 men committed, it was the largest battle the American Army fought in World War II, as well as among the bloodiest. 8.

Battle of Kursk, 5 July–23 August 1943: 257,125–388,000 casualties ( Image Source ) A decisive victory for the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front, the Battle of Kursk saw the largest series of armored tank clashes of the entire war and the costliest single day of aerial conflict in history. Having been warned months in advance of the Germans’ intention to eliminate the Kursk “bulge” — created in the aftermath of their devastating defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad — the Red Army was well prepared to take on the Nazis. Through a vast and brilliantly constructed network of minefields, anti-tank guns and defenses 155 miles deep, the Soviets wore down their attackers and then launched counter strikes, hemming the Germans back across a broad front. According to the Soviets, the Germans alone lost 500,000 men — killed, wounded or captured — though other estimates are more conservative. The Soviets went on to liberate most of Ukraine in what was to be a major turning point in the war. 7.

Second Battle of Kharkov, 12 May–28 May 1942: 300,000 casualties ( Image Source ) Kharkov was a strategically important city in the Ukraine that had seen fierce fighting in the autumn of 1941, when the Germans captured it. The following year the Red Army launched a major offensive to retake the prized city. Unfortunately for the Red Army, the Germans were still very much active in the area and were able to call upon forces to launch a strong defense and counter-offensive. The Germans encircled the three Soviet armies and effectively destroyed them. In a devastatingly effective operation, the Germans wiped out nearly 280,000 Russian men and 650 tanks. A disaster for the Soviets, the Second Battle of Kharkov pressed home the importance of staying on the defensive to the Red Army and inflated the Germans’ confidence — which many saw as playing a part in their downfall on the Eastern Front. 6.

Battle of Luzon, 9 January–15 August 1945: 332,330–345,330 casualties ( Image Source ) Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, was seen as being of great strategic importance to the United States. Despite General MacArthur’s belief in value of the island, American troops would have to wait until 1945 to launch an attack on Luzon, which was taken by the Japanese in 1942. When the Americans did make it back to Luzon, the fighting — complicated by the Japanese use of the famous kamikaze pilots — was frenzied and fierce, with incredibly high numbers of casualties, particularly for the Japanese. By the 11th of February American troops had captured Manila; however Japanese resistance — from scattered forces making sorties from the mountainous areas of the island — continued for some considerable time afterwards. 5.

Battle of France, 10 May–25 June 1940: 469,000 casualties ( Image Source ) The Battle of France marked the end of the so-called Phoney War — that strange, uncertain period of the Second World War which saw neither side commit to serious military action — and witnessed the German forces invade France and the Low Countries. Despite similar numbers in their respective forces, the Germans managed to overcome the French, bolstered by the British Expeditionary Force and Belgian and Dutch divisions. This was mainly due to superior German training and communication, and the Allies’ wrongly held belief that the Maginot Line — the heavily fortified French border with Germany — would firstly hold; and secondly, that the Germans would concentrate their efforts on it. In the event, the Germans attacked through Belgium and Holland, thereby rendering the line an expensive mistake. The Germans devastated the inexperienced French (and other Allied) troops and took the entire country soon after. 4.

Battle of Narva, 2 February–10 August 1944: 550,000 casualties ( Image Source ) The strategically important Estonian county of Narva Isthmus saw ferocious fighting between the German army — bolstered by Estonian conscripts desperate to resist Soviet re-occupation — and Stalin’s Red Army. Both sides were desperate to hold the valuable territory. Separated by historians into two distinct phases (the Battle for Narva Bridgehead and the Battle of Tannenberg Line), the fighting was amongst the most intense seen in the entire war. In the end, after months of terrible combat that left tens of thousands dead — particularly on the side of the Soviets, who suffered at the hands of German counterattacks — Hitler evacuated all troops from Estonia. The country was then largely free until the Soviets reoccupied it shortly after the war ended. 3. Battle of Moscow, 2 October 1941–7 January 1942: 1,000,000 casualties ( Image Source ) Soviet Russia’s successful defense of their capital against the German forces who sought to capture it in 1941 was a major turning point in the war.

Hitler believed that if he could capture Moscow, the spirit of the Red Army war machine would be crushed and they would be at the Germans’ mercy. However, due to a combination of fierce and strategically well-executed Russian resistance (bolstered by reinforcements from the east) and a terrible winter with temperatures down to minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit (–30°C) and colder, the Germans were destined not to take Moscow. Losses were massive on both sides. The Soviets suffered at least 650,000 casualties (perhaps many more) while in just twenty days of fighting the Germans are believed to have lost around 155,000 men — a mark of the devastation they suffered here. 2. Battle of Berlin, 16 April–2 May 1945: 1,298,745 casualties ( Image Source ) The last major offensive of the war in Europe, the Battle of Berlin saw the fall of the German Army, the suicide of Hitler and the beginning of the end of the Second World War. The inexorable push of the Soviet army westwards saw them advance as much as 25 miles a day before stopping just 35 miles east of the German capital.

The Red Army then proceeded to attack the city from the east and south, while a third group devastated German defenses from the north. The relentless Soviet army marched ever onwards, causing widespread panic in the already depleted German defenses (bolstered by inexperienced Hitler youth members) and, following fierce and bloody fighting, took the Reichstag on the 30th of April 1945, more or less signaling the conclusion of the war. 1. Battle of Stalingrad, 23 August 1942–2 February 1943: 1,250,000–1,798,619 casualties ( Image Source ) The Battle of Stalingrad, which saw Hitler’s major push for dominance on the Eastern Front, was marked by terrible losses on both sides. The Russians alone had over a million men wounded or killed. Barring their inability to conquer Moscow in the previous year, the war had generally been progressing well for the Germans up until this point, with valuable successes in North Africa and Europe. However, previously unseen brutality and crippling losses devastated the German offensive and severely dented their confidence.

Once their Romanian and Italian allies had been eliminated, the Germans found themselves surrounded in Stalingrad, vulnerable and starving in the rubble to which the Luftwaffe had reduced the city. Some would argue that the Germans never fully recovered from this most destructive of battles — one of the bloodiest of all time. 10 Most Epic Tank Battles in Military History 10 Most Epic Tank Battles in Military History January 3, 2012 By Will Image Source The tank is one of the most devastating and adaptable weapons available to an army’s command. Since their initial conception in the early 1900s and first use by the French and British during World War One, the tank has been a constant and powerful symbol of modern warfare. Throughout the 20th century, it has been one of the most potent tools available for an army to call upon and it has seen intense and devastating action. From the late World War Two mayhem of the Battle of the Bulge — which saw over 3,000 tanks take part in fighting — to the 1981 Battle of Dezful between Iran and Iraq, the tank has played a major part in offensives around the world.

Join us as we take a look at the 10 most epic tank battles in military history. 10. Battle of Cambrai, 20 November – 8 December 1917 Image Source World War One’s Battle of Cambrai, fought between the British and the Germans, took place towards the end of 1917 and is often mistakenly called the first tank battle in history. In fact, the distinction of having taken part in the first ever tank battle goes to the French army, who deployed tanks earlier in 1917, as did the British at the Third Battle of Ypres. Cambrai did, however, see a larger number of tanks deployed than ever before. The British plan of attack was to use their tanks to strike at the heart of the German Hindenburg Line. This formidable defense was previously viewed as impenetrable, until a commander named Henry Hugh Tudor suggested using tanks to support the troops attempting to break through the line. Around 476 tanks were used and both sides lost around 45,000 men. The final result of the battle was an operational stalemate. 9.

Second Battle of El Alamein, 23 October – 11 November 1942 Image Source With over 1,000 Allied tanks lining up against their 547 Axis counterparts, World War Two’s Second Battle of El Alamein saw the Germans effectively lose their battle for possession of Egypt and the much-prized Suez Canal. After the First Battle of El Alamein had halted the Axis advance into Egypt, the second battle effectively turned the course of the North African Campaign in the Allied forces’ favor. Tanks played a huge part in the battle, with the Allied forces receiving Sherman Tanks courtesy of the Americans. This bolstered their forces and made it possible for them to continue with the conflict longer than the Germans, whose own forces were more concentrated on the Eastern Front. 8. Battle of Raseiniai, 23 – 27 June 1941 Image Source The major tank battle of Raseiniai, in World War Two, saw virtually a complete destruction of the Soviet Union’s deployed mechanized units on the Northwestern Front.

Consisting of 749 tanks, versus the Germans’ 245, the Soviet tanks — which were technically superior to their German counterparts — were systematically outmanoeuvred and overpowered. The Germans were helped in no small part by their air force, the Luftwaffe, which made life particularly difficult for the Soviet command. A major battle of Operation Barbarossa (a.k.a. the German invasion of the USSR), the Battle of Raseiniai left the German army in a state of supreme confidence and with no doubt of the tank’s importance in the war. 7. Battle of the Valley of Tears, 6 – 9 October 1973 Image Source The Yom Kippur War — fought between Israel and an Arab coalition led by Egypt and Syria — saw the Arabs break a ceasefire that had lasted since the Six-Day War of 1967 and march into Israeli territory. Tanks were central to the surprise attack, known as the Valley of Tears, which occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. The number of Syrian tanks has been estimated at around 1,260, with the Israelis having command of around 100.

Various reasons have been given for the Israelis overturning such a massive disadvantage in tank numbers — from the superiority of their air force to the threat of their using nuclear weaponry. 6. Battle of Brody, 23 – 30 June 1941 Image Source The Battle of Brody, which has been called “the largest tank battle of World War II until the Battle of Kursk two years later,” saw 800 Axis tanks line up against 2,500 of their Russian opposite numbers. The German victory was partly due to their air force, the Luftwaffe, flying over the Polish war fields, destroying up to 201 Soviet tanks. However, the tank battle was incredibly fierce, with the German forces finding that the new Soviet T-34 tanks were virtually impervious to their firepower. It was mainly due to the Red Army’s supply chain drying up that the Germans were allowed to continue their offensive and press home their advantage. 5. Battle of Hannut, 12 – 14 May 1940 Image Source The Battle of Hannut took place in Belgium, fought between the French army and Nazi German invaders.

At the time, it was the largest tank conflict of the Second World War. Involving up to 674 German tanks (although some sources put the figure at 618) and 600 French and Dutch armored fighting vehicles, the battle was part of the German thrust through the Ardennes region. While it could be said that the Germans successfully tied down the Allied forces at Hannut, there was no conclusive outcome. The French army, although severely weakened, were able to fight on for some time longer. 4. Operation Goodwood, 18 – 20 July 1944 Image Source Operation Goodwood, a British attack on German forces near the northern French city of Caen, has been called, by at least one historian, “the largest tank battle the British Army has ever fought.” Over 1,100 British tanks took part, with some authorities giving a figure as high as 1,300. Battling against 377 German tanks, the British had as their objective gaining control of Caen, from which they could then liberate the rest of the occupied country. Not all went as planned for the British, however, with the Germans preventing a complete breakthrough.

The British advanced a further seven miles to the east of the city. The force of the attack, although by no means conclusive, confirmed the Germans’ fears that the British and Canadian forces on the eastern side of the Allied battle zone were their most dangerous enemies. 3. Battle of 73 Easting, 26 – 27 February 1991 Image Source A decisive victory for the American and British forces in their Desert Storm operation in Iraq, the Battle of 73 Easting refers to the conflict that took place on the north-south line of coordinates on the military map. In a truly devastating show of strength from the Coalition, the Iraqi forces were overwhelmed and overcome. The main part of the battle involved the US 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, which attacked and completely destroyed the Iraqi 18th Mechanized Brigade and 37th Armored Brigade. During the battle — one of the most studied in modern history — the Iraqis lost over 160 tanks to the American and British forces. 2.

Battle of Chawinda, 17 – 22 September 1965 Image Source The battle of Chawinda, which was part of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, has been called one of the largest tank battles since World War Two’s Battle of Kursk. The forces were fairly evenly matched, with the Indian Army commanding 225 tanks and the Pakistani Army controlling 282 tanks (including reinforcements). The Indian aim of the attack was to seize control of the Sialkot-Pasrur railway, thereby cutting off Pakistan’s route to important supplies. Things did not, however, go the Indians’ way, with the Pakistanis receiving reinforcements from Kashmir that vastly improved their situation. At the UN-enforced end of hostilities, India held around 200 square miles of Pakistani territory. 1. Battle of Prokhorovka (part of Battle of Kursk) 12 July 1943 Image Source Known as the largest tank battle in military history, the Battle of Prokhorovka saw 800-850 tanks of the Soviet army line up against the significantly smaller force of the Germans.

Russian sources put the German number of tanks between 500 and 700. Although figures from German sources are not available, the real number is likely to have been far less, with 294 German tanks having been listed as available the day before the battle. After fierce and intense fighting, resulting in many dead and wounded, the outcome of the battle was not immediately clear. The Russians claimed a propaganda victory, particularly due to the fact that Hitler had been forced to call off the attack on the Kursk salient. Clearly, the Soviets were far from finished as a force in the war and the tide was beginning to turn away from the Germans. Backgrounder: Major battles fought by USSR in World War II Backgrounder: Major battles fought by USSR in World War II RSS BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Russia will stage a Victory Day Parade in Red Square in Mowcow on Sunday, commemorating the 65th anniversary of the victory of World War II. Between June 1941 and May 1945, many battles of unprecedented scale were fought by the Soviet Union and its allies against the Nazi troops on the Eastern Front.

SIEGE OF LENINGRAD The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade, was a prolonged military operation by the German Army Group North and the Finnish Defense Forces to capture Leningrad. The attack started on July 10, 1941 when the Nazi troops advanced toward Leningrad. By September 8, German troops had severed the last land connection to the besieged city. The battle lasted for more than three years, finally ending on August 9, 1944. The Siege of Leningrad was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history and the most costly in terms of casualities. BATTLE OF MOSCOW The Battle of Moscow is a name given to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a 600-km sector of the Eastern Front. The battle took place between September 1941 and April 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's strategy, which considered the USSR capital and largest Soviety city to be the primary military and political objective for Axis forces in their invasion.

Nazi Germany suffered half a million casualties from the Battle of Moscow, shattering Hitler's attempts to capture the Soviet Union with a fast "Blitzkrieg." BATTLE OF STALINGRAD The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the turning points of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in southwestern Russia. It took place between July 17, 1942 and February 2, 1943. The three-phased battle began with a German offensive, followed by fighting among the rubble inside the city and ended with a Soviet counter-offensive and a decisive victory. The German 6th Army and other Axis forces were eventually trapped and destroyed around Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad was considered the first substantial German land defeat of the war. BATTLE OF KURSK The Battle of Kursk refers to German and Soviet operations in the vicinity of the city of Kursk. It took place in July and August 1943 and remains the largest series of armored clashes of all time, including the battle Prokhorovka, and the costliest single day of aerial warfare.

It was the last strategic offensive the Germans were able to mount in the east. The momentum in the war shifted to the Soviet side after the Battle of Kursk. BATTLE OF BERLIN The Battle of Berlin was the final major offensive of World War II on European soil. Starting on January 16, 1945, the Red Army breached the German front with the Vistula-Oder Offensive and rapidly advanced westward through eastern Germany, before halting on a line 60 kms east of Berlin along the Oder River. The Battle of Berlin lasted from April 16, 1945 until May 8. During the offensive, two Soviet fronts (army groups) attacked Berlin from the east and south, while a third overran German forces positioned north of Berlin. Before the battle was over, German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler and many of his followers committed suicide. Editor: Tang Danlu

Question: What 1943 WWII battle between Germany and the Soviet Union remains to this day the largest series of armored clashes ever?
Answer: Battle of Kursk